In the year 2013 in Germany, the number of deaths caused by infections with pathogenic germs is estimated at more than 15,000 people. A large number of these infections are due to contact contamination with the germs in doctors' surgeries and in hospitals. As these germs are frequently resistant to antibiotics, infections with these germs are particularly problematic, above all for already-weakened patients. In order to reduce a risk of infection through contact contamination, medicinal products are frequently surface-coated with antimicrobially effective substances. Silver is usually used. Silver has a very broad spectrum efficacy even against multiresistant germs, wherein small doses are already sufficient. In addition, antimicrobially effective organic molecules, such as for example polyhexanide or triclosan, are often also used. Furthermore, antimicrobially effective substances based on copper, tin, zinc or titanium are known. Further promising materials are molybdenum- and/or tungsten-containing substances which form an acid medium in the presence of water. Such substances are known, for example from EP 2 428 118 A2.
As already stated, the medicinal products themselves are frequently provided with antimicrobial substances, whereas the packagings of these products are not, as a rule, antimicrobially effective. In the case of frequent contact with the packaging, this leads to a high concentration of germs being able to form on the outside of the packaging in close proximity to the medicinal product. This is the case in particular with a plaster strip roll which is usually on a reel, and is protected against contact with the environment with a cover/protective ring. In practical use, the plaster strip roll is frequently transported in the uniform pocket, where it is in frequent contact with the environment, in particular the hands of the medical staff. The same plaster strip roll is usually used for a large number of patients. The germs thus transferred onto the reel or the cover/protective ring, can then easily be inadvertently transferred onto the patient by the medical staff or the patient. This can lead to serious infections. The risk of such a contact contamination could be substantially reduced, if not prevented, by an antimicrobial finishing of the reel or of the cover/protective ring.
From EP 2 113 466 A1 a tube provided with silver is known which, among other things, can be used for packaging pharmaceutical products such as, for example, healing ointments.
Furthermore, from EP 1 555 944 B1, packaged medicinal products are known, which have a packaging the inside of which has an antimicrobial coating.